Easier than ever for public to air views on policing

Your view counts and is valued – that’s the message behind Police Scotland’s new online public survey which takes just 15 minutes and will help shape priorities across the force.

The survey allows communities to tell Police Scotland what’s important to them and what they want local officers to prioritise. The process is open to everyone and runs all year round, around the clock.

Police Scotland have listened to feedback from the public over the last year and used it to re-design and re-launch their consultation process for local policing priorities. The process has evolved with support from key partners and stakeholders including the set of questions used.

The public can visit www.scotland.police.uk/yourviewcounts and respond to the consultation process will be continuously monitored, with quarterly progress reports published on the Police Scotland website.

Chief Constable Phil Gormley helped to launch the survey earlier this month and said: “Over the last year, we have listened to partners and communities who gave us feedback that they wanted better opportunities to tell us what is important to them.

“The new process is about accessibility and flexibility. The benefit of an online system is that you can take part at a time which is convenient for you. If you don’t have personal access to a computer, you can use community facilities with free internet access in hundreds of locations.

“Police Scotland wants to gather and understand views which reflect the needs of communities. Local policing is at the heart of what we do and that’s why we’re committed to listening to the public – we want to provide a high standard of service which delivers effective policing, tailored to meeting local needs across the country.”

Chief Inspector Andy McLean, local area commander for the Borders, added: “ I wholeheartedly back Mr Gormley’s views. The new electronic, online consultation process is a fantastic new development and allows us to reach more members of our communities than ever before. It is especially useful in areas such as the Borders which cover vast geographic areas, and I would encourage everyone to use the survey to influence local policing here in the Borders.”